Climate science - Globalized carbon emissions

摘要

An index that both climate scientists and policy makers anxiously keep track of is national emission rates of carbon dioxide, particularly for China, which has quickly been catching up with the US, hitherto the world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide. Despite all eff orts to the contrary, the rates for both China and the world are rapidly going up, rather than down. Jay Gregg of the University of Maryland, US, and colleagues suggest that paying attention to China is justifi ed as 54% of the growth of global carbon dioxide emissions between the years 2001 and 2006 has come from increases in Chinese emissions (Geophys. Res. Lett. 35, L08806; 2008).